Kelvin Cato

Cuttino Mobley scored 24 points, Kenny Thomas had 18 points and 22 rebounds and Kelvin Cato added 21 points and 15 rebounds as Houston beat Atlanta. Thomas, who tied his career best with six assists, and Cato each set career highs for rebounds. Three other Rockets scored in double figures, including rookie Steve Francis with 16 points. The Rockets won for the fourth time in their last six games and ended a three-game losing streak to Atlanta. Jim Jackson scored 21 points for the Hawks, who...

Twice last week, Bulls coach Scott Skiles referred to what he termed "silliness" creeping into his team's approach. There was more silliness Saturday night at the United Center. But it took the form of celebratory giddiness, the kind when one team is enjoying such a blowout that the starters are sitting with smiles on their faces. The Bulls led by as many as 33 points and throttled an Orlando team that owns the Eastern Conference's third-best record with a 105-90 victory that featured strong...

A couple of strong individual offensive efforts by the Clippers couldn't cover up an invisible defense. Kelvin Cato had 21 points and 11 rebounds, leading six Rockets in double figures, as Houston dominated under the basket and beat Los Angeles. The Clippers lost their second straight and eighth in their last nine road games despite 31 points from Maurice Taylor and the first career triple-double from rookie Lamar Odom, who finished with 10 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.

So has Isiah Thomas changed the balance of power in the Eastern Conference with still another major deal, Sunday's exchange of supposedly underachieving forwards? The Knicks' Keith Van Horn and the Bucks' Tim Thomas change uniforms in a three-way deal also involving Atlanta that comes four days before the league's Thursday trading deadline and follows New York's acquisition of Stephon Marbury. "When you add Tim Thomas and Nazr Mohammed to our team, the opportunity to trade one player and get...

Houston Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich is the top candidate to coach the U.S. men's basketball team at the 2000 Olympics, NBA Deputy Commissioner Russ Granik said. Tomjanovich led a team of CBA and college players to a bronze medal at last summer's world championships in Greece. That team was without NBA players because of the lockout and was supposed to be eliminated early. The Houston Chronicle also reported Wednesday that Utah coach Jerry Sloan is a candidate as well. Sloan was an...

This is the Bulls' fault, and it will continue to be the Bulls' fault until they do what they should have done four months ago when they had the chance: Trade Jamal Crawford. There's nothing wrong with Crawford, and he'd make a nice point guard for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who trashed the Bulls Tuesday night while Crawford was firing away late in a blowout loss. That apparently led to Wednesday's practice confrontation with coach Bill Cartwright and Crawford's ejection from practice.

Isaiah Rider scored 21 points as the Blazers improved their record to an NBA-best 13-3. The Blazers, who have won six straight and 11 of 12, shot 55 percent for the game and 75 percent in the lopsided fourth quarter. Hakeem Olajuwon had 16 points for the Rockets, who shot only 31 percent. Portland led by 19 at the end of three quarters and really poured it on from there, outscoring Houston 35-14 in the fourth. The Blazers went on a 14-0 run to start the quarter as Walt Williams and Greg...

With Michael Jordan out, there has been some mumbling among the Wizards that they're better off because they can run more, that when Jordan plays they must play more slowly so he can keep up. "That's the way we like to play--get up and down and generate easy baskets, generate crowd excitement and things of that nature," said Courtney Alexander, who has established career scoring highs with Jordan out. "We're not old. We want to run." Quick hits: It turns out Houston didn't gain much keeping Kelvin Cato...

Most teams dread Xavier's full-court pressure defense. But UCLA isn't most teams. "It will be a fun, exciting game," Bruins guard Cameron Dollar said of Saturday's meeting with the seventh-seeded Musketeers. "We don't get many chances to run. That (style) fits us." The second-seeded Bruins have athletic slashers in Charles O'Bannon and Toby Bailey. And Dollar, who led UCLA to victory in the 1995 NCAA final after replacing injured Tyus Edney, is a point guard...

Cuttino Mobley scored 24 points, Kenny Thomas had 18 points and 22 rebounds and Kelvin Cato added 21 points and 15 rebounds as Houston beat Atlanta. Thomas, who tied his career best with six assists, and Cato each set career highs for rebounds. Three other Rockets scored in double figures, including rookie Steve Francis with 16 points. The Rockets won for the fourth time in their last six games and ended a three-game losing streak to Atlanta. Jim Jackson scored 21 points for the Hawks, who...

For a guy who stands 6-feet-11-inches tall and blocks shots as often as he ties his shoes, Kelvin Cato has done quite a job of maintaining his anonymity. "Kelvin Cato?" Golden State Warriors coach Rick Adelman wondered recently. "Is that the guy from the O.J. trial?" No, Rick. This Cato doesn't guard houses. He guards the lane, among other things. As Iowa State beat Illinois State 69-57 in the first round of the NCAA tournament's Midwest Regional Thursday, Cato dominated the Redbirds...

Bulls guard Matt Maloney is being paid more by the Houston Rockets than the Bulls. The Rockets signed Maloney to a six-year, $2.6 million contract last year, then released him on Nov. 1. The Bulls signed him as a free agent last week. "I'm very happy for Matt," Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. "He has done really well since the Bulls picked him up." Bulls assistant Bill Berry was a longtime Houston aide before joining Tim Floyd's staff this season. Facing Berry and Maloney for the...

With Michael Jordan out, there has been some mumbling among the Wizards that they're better off because they can run more, that when Jordan plays they must play more slowly so he can keep up. "That's the way we like to play--get up and down and generate easy baskets, generate crowd excitement and things of that nature," said Courtney Alexander, who has established career scoring highs with Jordan out. "We're not old. We want to run." Quick hits: It turns out Houston didn't gain much keeping Kelvin Cato...

A couple of strong individual offensive efforts by the Clippers couldn't cover up an invisible defense. Kelvin Cato had 21 points and 11 rebounds, leading six Rockets in double figures, as Houston dominated under the basket and beat Los Angeles. The Clippers lost their second straight and eighth in their last nine road games despite 31 points from Maurice Taylor and the first career triple-double from rookie Lamar Odom, who finished with 10 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.

The Portland Trail Blazers were thrilled to get him. The Houston Rockets were equally glad to get rid of him. Scottie Pippen didn't have anything to say about it. In a deal that had been rumored for days, the former Bulls forward was traded to Portland on Saturday for Kelvin Cato, Stacey Augmon, Walt Williams, Ed Gray, Brian Shaw and Carlos Rogers. Blazers President and General Manager Bob Whitsitt said Pippen was "extremely excited" about the deal, and Pippen's agent, Jimmy Sexton,...

That sure was a short reign for Tim Duncan as the NBA's best player. "He does all the stuff Duncan can do," Knicks guard Latrell Sprewell said of Minnesota's 23-year-old Kevin Garnett. "And it seems like he has a little more to it. I'm not taking anything away from Tim, but I think Kevin is a tad bit more versatile." Take three-point shooting. Garnett never made more than eight three-pointers in any of his previous four seasons, but he hit 7 of 16 in the Timberwolves' first four games,...

Bulls guard Matt Maloney is being paid more by the Houston Rockets than the Bulls. The Rockets signed Maloney to a six-year, $2.6 million contract last year, then released him on Nov. 1. The Bulls signed him as a free agent last week. "I'm very happy for Matt," Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. "He has done really well since the Bulls picked him up." Bulls assistant Bill Berry was a longtime Houston aide before joining Tim Floyd's staff this season. Facing Berry and Maloney for the...

The Portland Trail Blazers were thrilled to get him. The Houston Rockets were equally glad to get rid of him. Scottie Pippen didn't have anything to say about it. In a deal that had been rumored for days, the former Bulls forward was traded to Portland on Saturday for Kelvin Cato, Stacey Augmon, Walt Williams, Ed Gray, Brian Shaw and Carlos Rogers. Blazers President and General Manager Bob Whitsitt said Pippen was "extremely excited" about the deal, and Pippen's agent, Jimmy Sexton,...

This is the Bulls' fault, and it will continue to be the Bulls' fault until they do what they should have done four months ago when they had the chance: Trade Jamal Crawford. There's nothing wrong with Crawford, and he'd make a nice point guard for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who trashed the Bulls Tuesday night while Crawford was firing away late in a blowout loss. That apparently led to Wednesday's practice confrontation with coach Bill Cartwright and Crawford's ejection from practice.

It appears Scottie Pippen's strange odyssey will continue. The former Bulls star who was transformed into a Houston Rockets malcontent last season is expected to be traded Saturday to the Portland Trail Blazers for six reserves, two of whom, Brian Shaw and Carlos Rogers, barely played in the abbreviated 1999 season. Pippen would join the team that many project as the favorite for the NBA title because of the off-season additions of Atlanta Hawks guard Steve Smith and...